One Thing
by xAstoriainmyDreamsx
Summary: Draco Malfoy has been preparing for this moment all year, noticing more than he's ever noticed, meticulously placing everything for this night. But what is the one thing that he's looked over? HBP HP/DM


Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, the setting, or all of the other wonderful things that J.K. Rowling created, I only own an intense need for run-ons and fragments… sorry.

Re-write of that fateful night in the Half-Blood Prince.

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><p>All was set.<p>

Everything was in its exact place.

Draco Malfoy had meticulously arranged and prodded each little tool and object into its specified niche.

All he had to do now was wait for them to return. He knew that they were leaving tonight. Draco knew his enemies. Draco knew his friends. Draco knew that he had none. But that did not matter, because after tonight they would all adore him. It would take so little strength from anyone else, but for him-

For Draco Malfoy it took everything.

Because no matter how strong, precise, and controlling he was, there was one thing that would never listen to him.

Would never listen to simple logic.

Couldn't go for one-_one_- night without getting exactly in the way of everything.

Because it was all set, the cabinet, the arrival of the Death Eaters to watch his victory, the distraction they would make downstairs, he knew that Dumbledore and Harry would come to the Astronomy Tower because he would make them, but no one else would know, because the only other person who could find out- Madam Rosmerta- was, after all, Draco Malfoy. No one else would bother to look at the Tower tonight. That had also been taken care of. None of the students would meander up those steps tonight, a simple spell had easily taken care of that, and all of his soon-to-be colleagues knew the counter curse.

But…

Severus had found no flaw in the plan that he had been told at the same time as everyone else- he got no special treatment. And Draco Malfoy knew of the interactions between Narcissa Malfoy and Severus Snape. Nothing was getting past Draco Malfoy these days- _nothing_.

Except…

There were back-up plans, should they be needed. They wouldn't be needed.

Unless…

Draco Malfoy did not know when the pair would return, and the letters he had intercepted had said nothing of a specific destination, but he knew that there was something… something important was happening tonight. And he knew he should know what it was.

But not even Severus knew.

Not that that said much at all. Draco Malfoy knew the truth about Severus. And he knew why too, but what was to be gained by giving him up; by murdering him? Draco Malfoy had recently become aware of a great many things that may have once been interesting, but were now meaningless. How ironic that he notices as soon as it means nothing that Dean and Seamus are gay, that McGonagall prowls alleyways for cats to 'play with', that Hagrid is trying diets.

His whole life, future, family, everything, was all on the line. Even things beyond his control, he had conned his way into controlling tonight. Nothing was allowed to be out of place.

But one thing was.

And it had the potential to ruin the entire plot.

No back up plans had been made for a problem that no one else could ever dare to foresee. No one would ever think it possible…

That Draco Malfoy… that Draco Malfoy had misplaced his heart.

But that was overlooked, because impossibilities are not accounted for. Because nothing could possibly go wrong.

Except that Draco Malfoy had not at all lost his heart, he knew exactly where it was.

It was carried-unknowingly-in Harry Potter's pocket.

Harry Potter took it everywhere, he had for a long time, but never had it posed this much danger. The trivial fears of being on the receiving end of a couple of nasty hexes from years ago if the truth came out were nothing compared to the turmoil this could cause him. And according to plan, Draco Malfoy would break Harry Potter's heart tonight, and his shriveled, beaten, unused heart could not carry the kind of love that Harry Potter had. Harry would be left with an unusable heart, and a shattered one. And if that didn't happen, then Draco Malfoy would merely cease to exist, which was fine… but he could never put his mother through what would be in store for them.

And Draco Malfoy didn't want to damage anything that belonged to Harry Potter.

But no, Harry Potter should know this is coming, Dumbledore had never been safe, and Harry Potter obviously knew that Draco Malfoy was up to something; but Draco Malfoy would allow nothing to get in the way, not tonight.

Unless Harry asked him. Unless Draco saw the pleading look in his eyes; felt his sorrowful gaze.

Because nothing made him give in more than Harry Potter did. Harry Potter was the only person that Draco Malfoy had ever given into, and Harry Potter was the only person that Draco Malfoy could never deny, ever. But Harry Potter was oblivious.

A sudden consciousness awoke within Draco Malfoy, alerting him that it was too late, that no more plans could be made, no more sudden attempts to clear Harry Potter from his mind.

Madam Rosmerta had heard a clatter on the cobblestoned street in front of her bar.

The honored guests had arrived.

The plan was ready. All was set. Nothing was out of place. It was not permitted to be, because no mistakes, no errors, were allowed. Period.

That is what Draco Malfoy told himself as he cast the Dark Mark and gave Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter broomsticks to fly towards where he lay in wait. The plan would work.

And Harry Potter was not there; Dumbledore arrived alone.

But Madam Rosmerta had seen Harry Potter, so Draco Malfoy had seen Harry Potter.

But Harry Potter was not there.

And Draco Malfoy had not missed a thing.

He disarmed his headmaster.

The dance began.

Harry Potter was not there, but he was. Draco Malfoy could sense his gaze upon the two. Draco Malfoy had seen the flick of the wand before his spell hit Dumbledore. That alone, is why Harry Potter was not here.

Harry Potter had been paralyzed beneath his invisibility cloak.

And Draco Malfoy had not missed a thing.

It was not the calm, fightless, tired, old man before him that began to lower Draco Malfoy's arm, even though he had registered that Albus Dumbledore was giving Draco Malfoy his life, all to save the pathetic, scrambling Malfoy family.

-Fucking Saint-

No, it was that Draco Malfoy could feel his heart squeezing, could feel the owner of his heart dying to cry, but feeling that no tears would be produced in Harry Potter's frozen state. Because Harry Potter's own heart did not have the freedom to break. But the part of him that contained no blood, that was not announced to be his, the part that could take so little emotion, was shattering.

And the place where it once sat in Draco's chest ached.

He was losing time. The Death Eaters were coming up the stairs, and he could hear Bellatrix hissing threats and insults into his ears. First praise, then disappointment. They all sounded the same coming from Bellatrix.

But Draco hadn't felt this much in so long, and the pain of betraying the only one who ever had a chance of truly loving him was too much. He bit back the tears, smelling his own failure as it was branded into his skin.

Now they all hated him.

He wanted to scream as Severus glided into view. He wanted to put an arm out to stop him. But that would kill him, and was more pain necessary? But Dumbledore would die. And then Harry would follow. And then Draco would be useless; dead too. Wasn't one life enough? One life, for 2 and a half? Draco raised his wand arm to stop Severus, to keep him from saying that spell.

But it was too late.

Bellatrix cackled. Severus looked lifeless. Dumbledore fell. The Death Eaters whooped with glee. Harry moved. Draco Malfoy tore straight down the middle. Because, unbeknownst to him, he did have a heart, a heart that was not shriveled, but whole, thriving, and full of pure love. And he had not been born with this heart. This was the heart that had been frozen as Harry Potter had been petrified. This was the heart that he had longed for- how long had he been carrying it? How long had his wildest dreams been fulfilled, without his knowledge? Why was it that he found out now, when it had all been lost, when it had all been broken through betrayals and blackmails and broken promises? When the very earth wanted to cry. Was there a point anymore?

Draco thought not.

Harry thought that Snape was going to die a painful death, and then the world would lose point, focus, and reason. Because Draco Malfoy had betrayed him.

Severus's life had lost meaning over a decade ago, but had been saved by the one man he was just forced to murder. And the only other people he cared about were broken, by what the other had done. Because Draco Malfoy was more like Severus Snape then he may ever know.

Severus Snape didn't miss a thing.

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><p>And they all ran.<p>

Harry Potter left his cloak, Draco Malfoy watched him run screaming after Severus Snape.

Because Draco Malfoy no longer meant anything to anyone. He had betrayed everyone and was left with no one. He would be tortured when they were bored. When there was nothing else to do. But for now he was a disgrace, useless, unimportant.

Draco Malfoy went to where he had heard Harry Potter's first anguished cry. He picked up the abandoned cloak. He put it on.

Draco Malfoy trudged down the steps following the path the rest of them had taken.

Draco Malfoy found the grass in front of the castle.

Draco Malfoy looked up, and somehow caught eyes with Severus Snape from half a mile away.

'_Now you know the truth, so don't you_ ever _give up on him. You two are all I have left, make each other happy._' Severus Snape whispered these words into his mind, his last wishes, because if and when he came back, he would never be able to be so open again. Severus Snape died ten minutes after Albus Dumbledore; it just took a year for his body to go cold.

Draco Malfoy nodded, knowing that Severus Snape could not see him, merely sense his presence in this, his last truthful hour.

And as Harry's screams echoed across the grounds, and the students and teachers finally realized that something had changed, and the Death Eaters and Severus Snape Disapparated, Draco Malfoy lost it. Harry's heart was being put through a cheese grater, and Draco could feel it all. He wanted to make it better, because he knew that his own heart was feeling similarly, and he knew that Harry Potter didn't know the difference.

Draco Malfoy curled in on himself upon the cool, wet grass. Tears that his face had not known for so many years were uncontrollable, unstoppable. And only the sight of Harry Potter's tears as he made his way to the bottom of the Astronomy Tower convinced Draco to get up. Because Severus wanted them together, and Severus Snape was the best man this world had ever seen. And Draco needed to see for himself.

Draco Malfoy followed the path that had been opened for Harry. Draco knelt next to Dumbledore, invisibility cloak intact.

"Harry?" he whispered so that no one else had a chance of hearing. "Harry I'm so sorry. I never wanted any of this to happen." Harry glared at the empty space beside him, tears gleaming in his eyes and down his cheeks. Disbelief was all over his features. "I stole your cloak okay? I figured it was the only way to see you, and I had to see you and… and I am sorry that my heart is giving you so much pain. Yours isn't feeling too great either…" The words sounded stupid and cheesy to Draco. Harry would never believe in all of this heart giving crap. This was the stuff of movies. But it didn't matter, because Harry didn't laugh, or sneer, Harry just hugged him right there in the middle of the crowd. Harry hugged an invisible man.

The men embraced, bringing mocking or sympathetic words to all of the grievers' lips, but they didn't care. The burrowed their faces into each other's necks, and the tears streamed down without fail or pause.

Hermione understood. With the pretence of comforting Harry she stepped forward. "Umm, Harry, Draco? Either one of you should go under the cloak or one of you should come out, I would suggest the first, no offence Draco, but…" She trailed off, jumping when an invisible hand landed on her shoulder.

"Thank you for that Gra-… Hermione." The two walked out of sight before Harry joined Draco under the cloak. They sat beneath the stars by the lake, watching the students and teachers.

When they had cried themselves out, Draco explained about Severus, and about Voldemort's blackmail (Harry knew of that), and of finding out that they had given each other their hearts.

"I don't know when exactly I gave my heart to you, but you've had it for some time, useless as it is, sorry about that." Draco murmured ashamedly.

"Don't apologize for how your father treated your heart, yes I know of the pain he's caused you, but your heart has grown since it left your chest. It isn't shriveled and lifeless as you describe it, I couldn't tell a difference from mine, actually." Draco was shocked at Harry's words

"But-but yours is gorgeous. So much love, and beauty, and trust, and power. Your heart is so full and whole."

"Falling in love with you did that to it. I only realized I loved you when I saw you crying in the bathroom. But my impulsive anger got the best of me and I-I… I could have _killed_ you Draco. I could have been a _murderer_."

"I was supposed to be."

"But you didn't hurt anyone…"

"Harry, I hurt you, and I can never forgive myself for that, I should have never listened to Him, so what about my family-"

"-No. No, you can't betray your family like that. You were in a no win situation, how could you have known which way to choose? And besides we're here now, and neither of us would be if you had chosen to say no. And that would have hurt me even more than the thought of you killing Dumbledore."

"Thank you." Draco sighed, laying his head on Harry's shoulder, his blond hair tickled Harry's neck.

"For what?"

"Being here, being you, saying what you said, for everything."

"Oh, well then thank you, for not giving up, for fighting, for listening to Sna-Severus, for letting tonight's plan fail." Harry kissed Draco's forehead, lingering.

"Mmm..."

Harry moved to Draco's temple, cheekbone, jaw, chin, nose, eyelid, hovering just in front of Draco's lips.

"What ever happened to Ginny?" They were so close that with each word their lips brushed together, sending jolts of electricity across their skin and into their souls, their lips buzzed in anticipation.

"She was only ever a distraction from you." And before the words could settle pleasantly into Draco's mind their lips were connected. In an almost unbreakable fashion their lips moved together, a feeling that both of them had longed for beyond memory. Draco ran his tongue tentatively across Harry's sweet lower lip, tasting the tart, sweet apple flavor of him. And then Harry was opening his mouth and Draco dove into warm, delicious bliss. Apple didn't quite fit it, there was more, a kind of soft mixture between apple-cinnamon-spring-and just undoubtedly _Harry_.

As they pulled away they realized that they had fallen backwards into the grass, and Draco rested his head on Harry's chest, unable to be separated more than this.

They both knew that in the morning their headmaster would still be dead, Severus Snape would still be gone, and Voldemort would still be on the rise. But the Malfoys would be protected, and they would be together, and someone would be there for them to grab onto. And now they'll enjoy this moment, just the two of them, because soon Hermione will want them with Dumbledore's body, and they'll have to be there, and this moment that they want to last forever will end far too soon.

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><p><strong>AN: Random want to write this… so I wrote it as fast as I could… so sorry for the lack of skill, more HP/DM on its way! Tell me what you think!**

**xAstoriaInMyDreamsx**


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